At least 2 dead after Ukraine drone assault sets fire to major oil refinery in Russia: report trib.al/tS0wjVQ
Washington and Tehran signed a deal.
Nuclear talks. A ceasefire. Reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
What’s not in it: a single word on Iran’s executions or repression.
Europe’s top human rights body just said so out loud. 🧵
Early Sunday morning, Russia launched a targeted ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, triggering air defenses across the city. The strikes left at least two people injured and ignited significant fires in the Darnytskyi district, where a blaze tore through vehicles and garages.
Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv early Sunday – Google Search google.com/search?num=10&new…
Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv early Sunday – Google Search google.com/search?num=10&new…
Ukraine’s vibe shift is bad news for Russia’s economy ft.trib.al/LXPB5Wq
PATIENTS ON PATROL: Russia has one of the highest HIV rates in Europe with around 50,000–60,000 new cases annually. HIV is endemic among Russian forces in UKR. Here, Russian army patients plead for help, and say they’re treated as cannon fodder.
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Strict U.S. sanctions on Russian seaborne oil exports have been reimposed after the expiration of temporary exemptions that had allowed the continued sale of Russian oil and petroleum products.The U.S. Treasury Department allowed the final sanctions waivers to lapse, once again fully enforcing restrictions on major Russian energy firms.
U.S. has reimposed strict sanctions on Russian seaborne oil exports – Google Search google.com/search?q=U.S.+has…
U.S. has reimposed strict sanctions on Russian seaborne oil exports – Google Search google.com/search?q=U.S.+has…
Breaking:
Japan bans all Israeli tourists from entering the country over its strikes on Lebanon
Like a struggling swimmer, the Russian leader may take desperate measures to stay afloat. foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/25…
The trailblazing San Francisco nightclub that defined ‘sleaze’ sfgate.com/sf-culture/articl…
Russia’s strategic goals remain exactly the same as they were in February 2022, but the current situation on the ground will never allow the Kremlin to reach them.
Because staying the course means losing the war, Putin will be forced to find a way to escalate, raising a critical question:
What options does Russia actually have left to escalate?
Russia is all in on its war against Ukraine but continues to fail. Putin will likely be forced to keep escalating, as his current efforts are causing Russia to lose the war. The core issue is that the Kremlin does not have many remaining paths, and every single one comes with massive downsides. If he could easily escalate, he would have done it already.
His first main option is simply to do more of what he is already doing. This means ramping up strikes against civilians, cultural monuments, and hospitals in Ukraine, while increasing the number of sabotage operations across EU territories. This approach would likely be accompanied by more useless Oreshnik strikes and empty nuclear threats.
While he can try to increase these efforts, it will not solve his issues on the ground. Russia has vast but ultimately limited resources, and wasting even more of them on civilians will not help his army on the front lines.
The second option is to launch another wave of mobilization. This would provide more men to attack and defend on the front, alongside more personnel for air defense inside Russia. It could allow Russia to launch a new offensive in Ukraine’s north or even the west, stretching Ukrainian troops to help operations in the east.
However, mobilization is incredibly expensive. It would ruin Russia’s economy and demographics even further, leading to massive inflation and a severe lack of labor. It is also an unpopular measure. Despite the risks, it is not too unlikely. Russia currently manages to recruit enough volunteers to maintain the status quo, but not enough to actually increase the overall size of its armed forces.
The third and final main option is to go beyond conventional warfare by using tactical nuclear or chemical weapons. This would be a massive international crime, and there are very good reasons why Russia has not taken this step yet. For one, it does not actually solve Russia’s practical issues on the front lines.
Furthermore, Russia’s allies and enemies are both firmly against the idea. Even China, Russia’s biggest enabler, does not want it. The West would likely retaliate far more aggressively than it currently does, and even Donald Trump would not support it. While the Kremlin loves to keep this option open to threaten the world, it remains highly unlikely to happen.
Ultimately, if Russia still wants to achieve its strategic goals, it has almost run out of moves. Mobilization stands as his best remaining option, but even that path is highly risky and does not guarantee the desired outcome for Russia